destrodan
509
In your opinion what are today's exclusive complications that are within reach?
30+ years ago, a fairly common consensus was the Rattrapante (until simplification via IWC's 3711), or the tourbillon that's now available via suppliers for many middle-tier brands, or the perpetual calendar (again, simplified by IWC's da vinci) that can now be found on the secondary market for less than most Rolex sports watches. Two decades ago, I recall that the cheapest perpetuals were well over twice the price on the secondary market of a new Submariner.
Time changes everything. With CNC and available manufacturing machinery, manufacturing has become easier.
So I'm curious. What are today's exclusive complications that haven't been made ubiquitous by computers and machinery? What's the next hill of exclusivity to conquer for up-and-coming watchmakers who want to make a name like Habring did? Or are the complications so varied and unique now that there are as many answers as there are consumers?
What do you think?
EDIT: One that comes to my mind (because of the earlier post) that I would love to see a watchmaker take on and figure out is how to mass-manufacture a secular perpetual calendar.
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In your opinion what are today's exclusive complications that are within reach?
30+ years ago, a fairly common consensus was the Rattrapante (until simplification via IWC's 3711), or the tourbillon that's now available via suppliers for many middle-tier brands, or the perpetual calendar (again, simplified by IWC's da vinci) that can ...
Easy answer, at least for me
Minute repeater is The complication. We've seen that Tourbillon can be "easily" manufactured, and I'm not even referring to the cheap Chinese turbo, instead of the Tag Heuer. But there is no mass production of minute repeaters, at least AFAIK
Minute Repeater. It requires both technical and artistic skills. Do you know how many minute repeaters are made per year?
During our visit at the JLC Manufacture, they told us... It is surprisingly low...
Hey Nico, that would be interesting to know!
The best I can do to guess the number of produced minute repeaters is go to that large global watch marketplace and search for the number of minute repeaters for sale worldwide on the secondary market. It appears that there are around 180 mechanical minut...
Wow. Thanks, Nico. I'd say the MR qualifies then!
Just curious, do you happen to know of any producers of secular perpetual calendars? Andersen is the only one I can think of and his are produced by request these days. I don't know of any producers of a secular perpetual calendar outside of Andersen. It ...
Yes, Andersen Geneve makes one. It's actually called the "Secular Perpetual Calendar"
It addresses the "secular year" that happens once every 100 years for 3 out of every 4 centuries. The backside of his watch actually accounts for it and tracks the next 400 years. Absolutely marvelous. But it does beg the question: Do I need to swap out t...
Some have called it the "first 100 percent perpetual calendar"
As no adjustments are ever needed Amazing that its first 'special trick' will happen when most of us won't be alive to witness it. Spectacular engineering.
You can't leaving me hanging like that, Justin!
I can't find a pic on the web - do you have one you can share? Would love to see it
LOL bro, I do have photos and know Julien pretty well. Actually have an amazing project with him currently 😉🤫🤫🤫
Contact me via PM and I will send you some photos 😉 Here is a link to an article that explains his invention: www.canalalpha.ch
thanks Justin, will pm
EDIT: I can't seem to figure out how PM works - if you can PM me I would appreciate it. And thanks for the intro to Julien - I can't wait to see his creation. 10,000 years in a mechanical watch boggles my mind.
LOL bro, I do have photos and know Julien pretty well. Actually have an amazing project with him currently 😉🤫🤫🤫
Contact me via PM and I will send you some photos 😉 Here is a link to an article that explains his invention: www.canalalpha.ch
Hold on a sec....
Is your reasoning for steel Rolex watches being more expensive than QP's and tourbillions is due to modern manufacturing? "[T] he perpetual calendar (again, simplified by IWC's da vinci) that can now be found on the secondary market for less than most Rol...
I was surmising about perpetuals
Patek became the masters of mass-producing perpetuals (along with very few select others) until IWC made the complication ubiquitous. For the first few years that the IWC Da Vinci perpetual hit the market, they outsold all other swiss perpetuals combined....
I would disagree about rattrapante
Yes, while cheap mostly Valjoux 7750 based rattrapante chronographs were plantiful (thanks mostly to Jaquet), properly executed modern rattrapante are still rare and very expensive. Just think who is making them nowadays: Patek, Lange, Breguet, RM, Czapek...
That's a fair observation.
There is a difference between a properly executed rattrapante and one that is less refined. And chronographs in general are one of the most complex of complications even if they are ubiquitous. I would say the same difference exists when one considers per...
